Christmas Cookies Are for Blogging

Have you ever wondered why Christmas baking makes such heavy use of spices? The answer is surprisingly simple: For centuries spices were one of the world’s most valued commodities – sometimes costlier than gold – so using them lavishly in holiday baking was a way of demonstrating religious devotion. For the less high-minded, it was also a way to demonstrate worldly wealth. Other ingredients followed the same sort of logic, including poppy seeds, which we use here for this very old recipe for Poppy Seed Cookies.

In Europe many Christmas cookies are nut-based, held together with either beaten egg whites or some form of caramel. Florentines are one of the most popular, a caramel-base cookie rich with almonds. They’re sold and enjoyed year-round, but are especially prized during the holidays. They are naturally gluten-free, too!